Inner cylinder construction for internal combustion engines



9,1932 1 R. s INNER 1,871,242

INNER CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 9, 19s; 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug; 9, 19 R. 1.. SKlNNER 1,871,242

INNER CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Fiked April 9, 1931 Z SheetS-Sheet 2 ac -d Aug. 9,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT our-ice SKINNER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 SKINNER MOTORS, INCH, 6F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION GE IDELILWAEE nmnn crmnnnn consrnucrron ron nvrnnnan corm'us'rron nuances Application filed April 9, 1931 serial It's. 5%,72t,

In internal-combustion engines having outer, ported cylinders and inner cylinders inside of, and spacedaway from, the outer cylinders, with curved or arcuate, reciprocating- 5 valves located between the slightly-separated,

concentric cylinders, I have heretofore provided supports for such inner cylinders at their lower ends, the specified supports constitutingthe sole meansfor carrying such inner cylinders.

I have also so mounted such cylinders in the supports, the latter being desirably in the form of rings, that the'cylinders could he removed upwardly from the engine out of the supports without demounting the latter from the cylinder block. i In such structures, however, dificulty was encountered with respect to failure of the pistons, whichjwork in such inner cylinders, and it was only after much'study and investigation that I discovered that the fault or trouble resided in the fact that the lower sections of such inner cylinders, due to the heat imposed on them and onco-operating and adjacent parts while the engine was in service became somewhatfoval or distorted in cross-section, instead of maintainingthe perfeet cylindricity required for, satisfactory operating conditions.

Experiments and study developed the unexpected fact that the supporting rings into 'which the lower, shouldered ends of the cyl- (inders fitted snugly, theclose fit being thought necessary for thesatisfactory mounting of i the cylinders, by reason of changes in their temperature, and possibly due to other factors, tended to become out-of-round, and such rings, which were ofsubstantially greater thickness than the relatively-thin, inner cylinders, in turn, squeezed orcompressed such encircled or encompassed cylinders into. correspondin out-of-true shapes, with the resuit that t e pistons would not reciprocate properly within them,

loosely mounting the cylinders in the rings, that is, in the new and improved structure incorporating this invention, the inner cylinders, so to speak, float on or in their rings,

' This difiiculty I have now overcome by occurs in the latter, due to heat or otherwise, is not transferred to, or imposed on, the cyl inders, thus allowing the latter to vpreserve their exact, round shape. N

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means which, while allowing the lateral play of the inner cylinders referred to, also prevents them from rising mder the action ofthe pistons or valves, unless it is intended. that such cylinders shall be demounted by upward withdrawal trornjthe engine, 7 i

To enable-those acquaintedwith this art to understand the invention and its accruing benefits, in the accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification, and to which reference should he made in connection with the following detailed description, a present, desirable or preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated,.and, for the sake of clearness, the same reference numerals have been employed to designate the like parts throughout the views.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a, central, vertical section through one cylinder of a inulti-c'ylinder, internalcombustion engine embodying or incorporating the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the lower fragmentary, vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. .3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 ofFig. 2, also showing a portion of a second cylinder; and

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of a, part of one of the supporting rings and a portion of \the inner cylinder mounted on it.

By" reference-to these drawings, it will be noted that the engine includes an outer,

water-jacketed cylinder 11 having inlet and I exhaust ports 12 and 13, respectively.

Forming an integral part of, and depending from, the cylinder-block are a. air of curved walls 14 and-15(Fig. 2) termmating along their upright edges in separated, ver- 'tical, marginal ribs or flanges 16, 16,. the

whereby any distortion or deformity which inner surfaces of such members 14' and '15 whose upper end terminates below-the outercylinder ports 12 and 13, has its lower end loosely accommodated in the ring or support 18 (Fig. 4), the cylinder having an external, circular shoulder 22 bearing and resting directly on the top end of the'portion 19 of the ring.

v Owing to the sidewise looseness or playbetween the'inner-cylinder and its sustaining ring, the latter may change its true, circular shape under the action of the heat imposed on it without modifying the true, round form of its supported cylinder, thus efi'ectually to the era 7 tofore has in nature. wo, ported, arcuate or curvedyintake and exhaust valves 23 and 24, reci" rocate longitudina'lly of,:and, between, t e outer and enof a puzzling and disconcert- .inner cylinders 11; a'nd 21, being worked up and down ;by,.ineans of connecting-rods 25 opening and closing of the engine ports.

stationary inner cylinder 21, being joined shaft 31 by the usual connectingrod 32.

At certain times or under some circumstances, the piston or the valves, or both together, maytend to raise the inner cylinder out of, its socket in its supporting ring, and to prevent such all-occurrence, a screw 331s used in the ring 18 and it has a smooth, projecting end 34 fitting in a recess or slot 35 in the outer surface of the inner cylinder 21. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that, if the screw 33 is removed; and other portions ofithe engine detached, the'inner cylinder maybe demounted upwardly and out through the top of the outer cylinder screws 17 and wit without detachment of the ring 18 from the castingjwhich supports it b means of the valves and their operating means.

Features, of novelty and improvement,

I other than those of the present invention, il-

lustrated in the drawings, and which need not be referred to here specifically, constitute 136, Nov. 3,1931.

, and 26 joined to eccentric or crank shafts 27 and 28- rotated by any approved means'and" 8 at-proper speed to secure the correctly-timed As is customary in enginesof this general type, a power-piston'28 reciprocates in the,

out distur ing'theslidingjf...

' capacity for lateral'play of the innercylinpiston rec procatory in s'aidi'nner been set forth, but those skilled in this art will readily understand that the invention, as defined by the appended claims, is not restricted to such .single embodiment, and

1. In an internal-combustion engine, the

combination of an outer ported cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of and spaced away from said outer cylinder, valve-means between said cylinders, means to reciprocate said valve-means lengthwise said cylinders,

means to support said inner cylinder with play between the two laterally of said inner cylinder, means on said support preventing unintentional "ascent of the inner-c linder, and a 'piston reciprocatory in sai inner cylinder. overcomin a fault in the engine which here- 2. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of an outer port ed cyliiider, an inner-cylinder inside of and spaced away from said outer cylinder, valve-means between said cylinders, means to reciprocate said valve-means lengthwise said cylinders, a ring loosely surrounding the lower end portion of said inner cylinder, the latter having an external shoulder resting on said ring, a pin in said ring extended into a recess in said inner cylinder to prevent unintentional ascent of the cylinder, and a piston reciprocatory insaid inner cylinder. 1

3; In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of an outer ported cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of, spaced away from, and terminating below the ports of, said outer cylinder, valve-means between said cylinders, means to reciprocate said valveg means lengthwise of said cylinders, means to support said inner cylinder with capacity for play of such inner cylinder laterally thereof, and a piston reciprocatory in said inner cylinder. 4

4 Inan internal-combustion engine, the

combination of an outer ported cyl nder,"an 7111scylinders, means to'reci rocate said valve-- means lengthwise of sai cylinders, stationary means to support :said inner cylinder the'ljatter loosely, fitted-therein to allow der, and a cylinder.

5; In an'intern'al-combustion engine, the

combination of an outer ported cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of, spaced away from and .terminating below the ports of, sai

outer cylinder, valve-means between. said cylinders, means to reciprocate said valvemeans lengthwise of said cylinders, a stationary ring loosely surrounding the lower end of, and supporting, said inner cylinder with capacity for play of said inner cylinder lat erally thereof, and a piston reciprocatory in said inner cylinder.

66 In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of an outer ported cylinder, an inner cylinder inside of, spaced away from, and terminating below the ports of, said outer cylinder, valve-means between said cylinders, means to reciprocate said valvemeans lengthwise of said cylinders, a station ary ring loosely surrounding the lower end of said inner cylinder, the latter havin an external shoulder resting on said rin t us giving the inner cylinder capacity or lateral play, and a piston reciprocatory in said inner cylinder.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH L. SKINNER. 

